In article <airliners.1998.176@ohare.Chicago.COM>, mweber@t140.aone.net.au (James Matthew Weber) wrote:
> On 26 Dec 97 03:28:45 , westin*nospam@graphics.cornell.edu (Stephen H. Westin) wrote:
> >I thought the 717 (KC-135) actually had a *narrower* fuselage than the
> >707, not just a shorter one.
>
> It does indeed, which is why the KC135 really is a different airframe
> than the 707. The KC135 is the sucessor to the Dash-80. The airlines
> wanted 6 across Coach Seating, which made the 707 more attractive than
> the DC8.
The DC-8 had 3-3 seating from the outset, which is why the airlines
threatened to buy it when Boeing initially refused to widen the
as-designed KC-135/707 fuselage, which only accomodated 3-2 seating. When
Boeing realized the airlines weren't kidding when they said they wanted
3-3 seating, they widened the 707 fuselage to be one inch wider than the
DC-8. The KC-135 (Boeing 717) fuselage retained its original width,
however.
C. Marin Faure
author, Flying A Floatplane